DEAN ON THE DESSERT

I'm here in Tucson, AZ this week, building a rally for Governor Dean. With the campaign shake-up, the polls tightening up, and the Governor needing a win -- this should be a great rally.

We're expecting a good crowd, 1500-2000 folks. Join us.

HERE ARE ALL THE DETAILS:
Governor Dean in Tucson
Saturday, 1/31/04 at 8:30AM

Reid Park Bandshell

Also appearing:
Congressman Grijalva, (D-AZ)
Congresswoman Hilda Solis (D-CA)
Congressman Xavier Bacerra (D-CA)
General Joseph Hoar, USMC (Ret.)
Delores Huerta (co-founder of United Farm Workers Union)

For more info, call the Dean for America Tucson Headquarters at 520-403-5879 or 520-403-7566.

WHO'LL WIN THE INTERNET PRIMARY

As with everywhere, Dean seemed to have an early lead on-line; fundraising, organizing, blogging... Jesse James Garrett did an exhaustive evaluation of all 9 Democratic presidential websites.

It's really interesting for those who find that sort of thing really interesting. Especially the best practices at the back.

TRUCKER HAT MOSH PIT

We went to go see Hank Williams III Sunday night.

He does about 1.5 hours of the kind of twangy counrty that would have made Dad (or Grandpa) very happy. He covered lots of David Allen Coe and some of his Dad's stuff. His bass player was the craziest looking speed-freak I think I've ever seen -- a combination of Skelator and Gary Busse. He puts on an amazing show.

Then his county band leaves the stage and his punk band comes on. Half the people also leave and the floor becomes a mosh pit.

The 30-something, very supportively-pushy crowd of guys in the mosh-pit were just as happy to pull you to your feet as they were to knock you down. Jeff and Greg Veen were giggleing like little boys - and they're broken today.

DEAN TV

All day today, we've been speculating that Governor Dean has about 25 minutes to make fun of himself, open up a bit and get back in the game...

Tonight, he'll appear at the Democratic candidates' debate in Manchester, live the Fox News Channel at 8 pm ET, with a one-hour summary on ABC News' Nightline at 11:35 pm ET.

Then Governor Dean and his wife Judy sit down with Diane Sawyer on Prime Time Thursday. The program airs at 10 pm ET on ABC.

Then the good doctor appears on Late Night with David Letterman on CBS.

Three shows on three networks... it's like he was listening to our watercooler conversation.
We're campaign management geniuses.

THE FUNNIEST THING I'VE SEEN IN DAYS

I dare you to beat 319.6!!!

Thanks to Mike for sending me this!

UPDATE:
Kottke got 320.5
Pableaux, Henry and I tied at 323.5

FAMOUS AMONG DOZENS

My Maggie is nominated to win a Bloggie for Best Tagline. Vote for her. It's fun!

Remebering 1992

So, looking at today's results, it's important to put the Iowa caucus in some perspective:

Past Results

YEAR	IOWA	N.H.	S.C.	NOMINEE
1952	--	Kefauver	--	Stevenson
1956	--	Kefauver	--	Stevenson
1960	--	Kennedy	--	Kennedy
1968	--	Johnson	--	Humphrey
1972	Uncommitted	Muskie	--	McGovern
1976	Uncommitted	Carter	--	Carter
1980	Carter	Carter	--	Carter
1984	Mondale	Hart	Uncommitted	Mondale
1988	Gephardt	Dukakis	Jackson	Dukakis
1992	Harkin	Tsongas	Clinton	Clinton

But -- Kerry and Edwards deserve kudos. They ran a good, possitive campaign and they were rewarded for it.
Gephart's out tomorrow. Kucinich will be just behind him - and then the real game begins.

This is gonna be a great show...

THE MASTER OF MY KITCHEN

Heather takes good photos. Don't forget to buy them.

THE 15-YEAR-OLD vs THE CLOWN

The Denver City council will hear arguements regarding a measure that would ban the display of exotic animals including lions, tigers and bears within Denver's city limits.

A 15-year-old girl started the movement and a group called Youth Opposed to Animal Acts. But, not to be outdone by a teenager, Ringling Brothers plans to send a clown to speak on its behalf.

This is why I love democracy.

NAMES AND FACES

I heard someone on the bus home yesterday say, "You know, 500 fatalities in Iraq isn't so bad. It could have been a lot worse."

I think anybody who's looked at the all names and faces of the 483 soldiers who died in Iraq would have really hard time making that statement.

MY ARIANNA

My favorite, almost-intelligible, European-born, very striking, California gubenatorial candidate has penned a great little essay over at TomPaine.com:

Ghosts Of Landslides Past
I swear, if I hear one more Democratic honcho say that Howard Dean is not electable, I'm going to do something crazy (maybe that's what happened to Britney in Vegas this weekend).

The contention is nothing short of idiotic.

Consider the source: the folks besmirching the Good Doctor's Election Day viability are the very people who have driven the Democratic Party into irrelevance. Who spearheaded the party's resounding 2002 mid-term defeats? Who kinda, sorta, but not really disagreed with President Bush as he led us down the path of preemptive war with Iraq, irresponsible tax cuts and an unprecedented deficit?

Dean is electable precisely because he's making a decisive break with the spinelessness and pussyfooting that have become the hallmark of the Democratic Party.

So, please, no more hand-wringing about Dean being "another Dukakis." And no more weepy flashbacks about having had your heart broken by George McGovern, whose 1972 annihilation haunts the 2004 Democratic primaries like a political Jacob Marley, shaking his chains and warning about the Ghosts of Landslides Past.

There is a historical parallel to Dean's candidacy. But it's not McGovern in 1972, as the DLC-paranoiacs would like us to believe—it's Bobby Kennedy in 1968.

MORE...

New Years Day Brunch

Thanks to Jeff for the pix.